Shuffleboard weight with covered edges



ug- 1952 E. H. TJOMSLAND 2,606,030

' SHUF'FLEBOARD WEIGHT WITH COVERED EDGES Filed July 23, 1949 NNNNNN ORPatented Aug. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES E ATENT OFFICE SHUFFLEBOARD WEIGHT'WITH COVERED EDGES Eli H. Tjomsland, Maywood, N. J.

Application Julyj23, 1949, Serial No. 106,373

20 Claims.

This invention relates to shuffle board weights, and more especially toimprovements that make the colors of the weights more easily visible andthat prevent the weights from damaging the board on which they are usedand from damaging each other.

The weights of the opposing teams are distinguished by different colors.When these colors are on the tops of the weights only, it is sometimesdifficult to see them from the opposite end of a long shuffie board.Color bands placed on the sides of the weights have presented a numberof difilculties. If the weights are painted on their circumferentialsurfaces, the paint is easily cracked off by the impact of the weightswith one another during play. Some weights :have been made with groovesin which the paint was placed to protect it from being cracked, but whensuch grooves are provided in shuffie board weights made of hardenedsteel, the edges of the grooves themselves become chipped in play.

It is an object of this invention to providean improved shufile boardweight having a colored covering which identifies the weight withoutinterfering with the way in which the weight is used in play. In thepreferred construction of the invention, the weights have acircumferential portion of maximum diameter at which there is nocovering over the metal so that the weights strike against each otherwith metal-to metal contact in the same way as conventional weights.

It is another object of the inventiontoprovide a soft covering over theupper and lower edges of the weights so that they do not damage thesurface of the table when they areaccidentally or carelessly dropped onthe surface. Wooden tables are damaged by having depressions indented intheir surfaces byweights dropped'upon them, and tables made ofcomposition material sometimes have their surfaces cracked by the impact of weights that are dropped on the surfaces, particularly if nearan edge or corner of the composition material.

Still another object of theinvention is to provide a shufiie boardweight having ,a depression in its top surface with a generallyelliptical shape so that the weight can be conveniently held andcontrolled by the players thumb, particularly while making shots alongthe side of the playing surface.

Other objects, features and advantagesv of the invention will appear orbe pointed out as .the description proceeds.

In the drawing, forming a parthereof, inwhich like reference charactersindicate corresponding parts in all the views,

Figure 1 is a top planview of ashuflie board weight embodyingthisinvention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the shuffie board weight .shown inFigure ,1.

Figure 3 is ;a .sectionalview taken on the line 3-'3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modified constructionfor the bottom of the weight.

Figure 5isa fragmentary'sectional view showing a modified constructionfor the top and side of the weight.

Figure 6.is abottom view in Figures 1-3.

The shuffle board weight shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 includes abodyportion I0 having atop surface thatslopes downwardly to-a ,centerrecessII. There is an insert 12, preferably made of rubber, soft plasticorsimilarmaterial,and this insert fits securely in the center recess,being held firmly in place by friction and by a projection l4 near thelower end of the insert in position to fit into an annular undercut l5in the lower end of the side wall of the center recess l I.

The center portion of the insert I2 is depressed and contains anidentification disk l6 which is covered by a transparent window Hi. Thedisk and window are held in place by an undercut recess l'l into whichthe edges of the disk extend at the bottom of the sidewall of thedepressio in the insert.

The upper side of the undercut 15 is substantially straight, that is,normal to the axis of the weight so as to lock the projection l4 and theinsert I2 against moving out of the center recess I l This feature of astraight wall at :the end toward which the inserted projectionpulls inservice is used in all of the grooves and undercuts that hold the coversof this invention. The projection I4 is opposite the recess I! whichholds the identification disk It sothat the outward pressure of the disk[0 and window 16 hold the projection l in the undercut l5.

Some players hold their thumb-against the top of the weight for bettercontrol, particularly when making shots along the side of the-playingsurface of the shuflie board; and the depression in the insert [2 has agenerally elliptical shape, best shown in Figure 1, anda rounded ortapered upper end portion on the sides'of the insertdepression to enablethe thumb to fit comfortably into the depression for controlling theweights when making any shots with the thumb held against-the top of theweight.

In the constructionrshown in Figures 1 to3,

of the weight shown there is an annular cover l8- over the top of the vbody portion beyond the center recess. This annular cover is preferablymade of plastic material having a bright color, and the inner edge ofthe cover [8 is held in place by a bead around the periphery of theinsert 12.

There is a cover 20, preferably made of molded rubber, over the uppercircumferential edge of the weight. This cover overlaps the annularcover I 8 and holds the upper edge of the annular cover in position. Theedge cover 20 is held in position by a bead 22 which fits into acomplementary, circumferential groove in the side surface of the weight.

Below the cover 20 there is a sleeve 24 that fits.

snugly around the weight and that is preferably made of plastic havingthe same color as the annular cover l8. It will be understood that ineach set of weights, the cover [8 and sleeve 24 will be of one color onhalf of the weights and of another color on the other half foridentifying the weights of the two competing teams.

One feature of the invention is the inclusion in the materials of thecovers and the sleeve 24 of pigments that become fluorescent whenexposed to certain kinds of radiation. The pigment used is preferablyone that glows under black light. There are a number of such materials,such as calcium sulfide, strontium sulfide, sulfide of alkaline earthscontaining impurities as manganese, dysprosium, strontium, yttrium,thallium, samarium. If colors that become brighter under white light aredesired, pigments can' be used which are made of anthracene, eothine,esculine, fluorescein, zinc sulphide, naphthalene red, quinine sulphate.

Below the sleeve 24 the weight has an annular contact ring 26 which isof one piece construction with the body of the weight and preferably ofa rounded cross section, the construction shown in the drawing beingsubstantially half round. The side Wall of the body portion I0 ispreferably tapered above the annular contact ring 26 so that thediameter increases progressively downward.

The contact ring 26, at its region of maximum diameter, extends radiallybeyond the cover 20, sleeve 24, and beyond another cover 28 which islocated at the lower circumferential edge of the weight. The maximumdiameter of the annular contact ring 26 is preferably in the same planewith the center of gravity of the weight. feature eliminates thetendency of weights to turn up on edge and roll when subjected to impactwith other weights.

The annular contact ring 26 is of sufficient breadth and strength sothat it will not chip in use. Experience has shown that by having thecontact ring 26 of rounded cross section, the appearance of the weightis more attractive than when an effort is made to obtain a uniformabutment between straight side edges of a contact ring and theconfronting edges of the sleeve 24 and lower edge cover 28.

The lower edge cover 28, which is preferably made of rubber, is held inplace by a bead 30 which fits into a complementary circumferentialgroove of the side wall of thebody portion I0 immediately below thecontact ring 26. In order to have the weight slide freely on the shuffleboard, it is necessary to provide a construction in which a metalsurface of the weight rests on the shufile board.

In the construction shown in Figure 3, the shuffle board weight has abottom which comprises a center concave area 32 and a frustro-conicalarea 34 surrounding the center area 32. The concave area 32 may be oflarger or smaller radial This 4 extent within a reasonable range, and ispreferably from /4 to /2 of the radius of the weight.

In the preferred construction the frustro-conical area 34 slopes upwardat an angle of degree, such angle being measured from a horizontal planeon which the shuffle board weight rests. The concave area 32 merges withthe frustroconical area 34 around an annular surface which comprises thebearing surface on which the weight slides when moving over the shuffleboard. At the region where the frustro-conical area 34 meets the side ofthe weight, the body I0 is preferably recessed to make the bottomsurface of the lower edge cover 28 substantially flush with the surfaceof the frustro-conical area 34. Substantially mechanically equivalentconstructions can be obtained by having the concave area conical for aportion of its extent, or by having a portion of the area 34 convex, thepurpose of the upward slope of the area 34 being merely to limit thebearing surface of the weight to a smaller area near the center of theweight without substantially raising the center of gravity.

Although shufile board weights having annular sliding surfaces, such asthe weight shown in Figure 3, are becoming increasingly popular becauseof the truer courses which they follow and their ability to respond tospins placed upon the weights by good players, some manufacturers stillmake the older style of weight in which the bottom of the weight hassubstantially point contact with the surface on which it rests. Whensuch weights are sliding along a shufile board, they tilt in thedirection in which they are moving and the actual bearing is not onlythe center point but a radial line extending from the center point tothe front of the weight. This invention can be used in such weights, andsuch a modification of the invention is illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 4 shows a shuffle board weight having a body portion with acenter point 4|. The upward slope of the bottom from the center 4| issomewhat exaggerated in Figure 4 in order to make the illustrationclearer. Actually the slope of the bottom is usually of the order ofabout A degree measured from a horizontal surface normal to the axis ofthe weight.

There is a lower edge cover 42 held in place by a head 44 which extendsinto a complementary groove in the circumferential side surface of thebody portion 40. The lower edge cover 42 extends around the edge alongwhich the bottom of the weight merges into the side of the weight, andthen extends across a recessed portion of the bottom to a shoulder 45.The bottom surface of the cover 42 is set back slightly from the bottomsurface that is radially inward from the shoulder 45 sothat when theweight is sliding, its contact surface is a radius extending from thepoint 4! to the shoulder 45, and the surface of the lower cover 42 doesnot touch the shuffle. board. The shoulder 45 is located inward from theside of the weight by a distance which is preferably not greater thanone-third of the radius of the weight.

Figure 5 shows another modified construction in which the plastic cover[8 and sleeve 24 of Figure 3 are dispensed with and the side and top ofthe weight are covered by a single cover which is preferably a onepiece, molding of medium soft rubber or other cushioning material. Thiscover 50 includes a center portion which is similar to the insert l2 ofFigure 3, except that it requires no bead around its upper edge, and itincludes also an outwardly extending portion Which covers the entire topof the weight beyond aaeoaoao theacenterxrecess .1 l and which :also.covers :the upper gcircumferential edge .of the weight and the side ofthe'weightzdown to :the annular contact ring :16. I

The cover iill .isheldinplace byaibeadfi52 fitting into 7 acomplementary circumferential groove in theside-wall of the shuffleboard-weight. The lower portion of the-weight-shown in Figure 5 may bethesame as that shown-inFigure 3 or can be the modified rconstruction'shown in Figure 4.

-Qne advantage of the invention --is thatall of the-edges of :the weightare covered with soft cushioning material, and the shuiiie board is thusprotected .from damage when weights are droppedthe edges of the weightsbeing-the parts that .most .-easily: damage-the shufiie board. At thesame :time, -.the weights have their portions of' ,maximum..diameter,the contact rings. 25, "exposed so thatthereis thesame metal.to metal contact, .between weights, which strike one an other,as,.in.conventional weights which have no protection'over their upperand lower edges.

-Figure5 shows another feature comprising a glove 5d stretched over thecover 50 and down into the depression :at the center of the cover. Theedge of the glove 54 is locked into the undercut circumferential'groovethat receives the projection 52, and the center region of the'glove 55isstretched downinto the depression in the insertlfiil and held down bythe identification disk IS.

.The. glove Mispreferably made of transparent plastic .material in whichthere are embedded particles of -material that become fluorescent whenexposed to radiation, such; as infra-red or visible light, dependinguponthe :nature of the particles selected. The use of the glove Hover theother cover-is for the purpose of economy since-the transparent plasticmaterial used for the fluorescent particles costs more than the materialof themoldedcovers. The glove is of thin material and, not thick enoughto provide the .cushioningfor which the covers on the weight edgesareused.

The invention can be madewith a'cover that extendsaround the upper andlowerz edges and across theentire circumferential surface of theweights. .Such covers,-however, cushion-the impact of theweightswith-one another-and change thevcharacteristics of the playto someextent. Howeventhe weights, when so covered, will displacecther weightswith comparatively goodefliciency as ,long as the bottom surfaces of theweightsrare not interfered withby the-soft covers andthe weightshave-bare metal surfaces in contact withthe surfaceof the shuffle board.

The-preferredembodiment and some modifications have been illustrated anddescribed, but various changes and other modifications can be made andsomefeatures can be-used alone or-in different combinations withoutdeparting from the invention asdefinedin the claims.

What is .claimed is:

1. A shufiie board weight comprising a metal body having top and bottomsurfacesand aside surface that merges with the top and bottom surfacesat upper and lower circumferential edges of the .weight, .a coverextending overia portion of the .top surface around the upper edge andpart way .down the side ofthe weight, another cover extending around thelower edge of the weight and .across portions of the bottom and side .ofthe ,weight,,a shoulder on the bottom of the weight .at .the inneredgeof the portion of the:.cov,erpthat extends radiallyv inwardlytacross thebottom, said shoulder extending :downward for ,a: distance at, least as:great as the thickness of thematerial of the adjacent portion ofthecover, and a bearing surface at the bottom of the metal-body inward fromthe shoulder andin position to-serve as the bearing on which theshuffle'board weight slides along a shuiiie board.

-2.-A:shuiiie board Weight comprising a metal body havingtop andbottomsurfaces and aside surface that merges with the top and bottom surfacesalong the upper and lower edges, respectively of the curved side, acover of-soft material extending around the upper edge and across theportions of the top and side that are adjacent to theupperedge, anothercover of soft material extending around the loweredge and part-Wayacross the bottom of the weight, a circumferential surfaoeon the sideof'the weight between the upper and lower covers and .of greaterdiameter than the upperand lower covers for-contact with-thecorresponding surface of a similar weight on a shuffle board, a shoulder.on thebottom of the weight at the inner edge of the portion of thecover that extends radially'inwardly across the bottom, said shoulderextending .downwardfor a distance at. least as-greatas thethickness ofthe material of the adjacent portion of the cover, a bearing surface onthe bottom of the weight inward from the shoulder at a level below thebottom of the lowercover.

' 3. A shuffle board weight comprising a metal body having a top andbottom joined by a circumferential side that meets the top and bottom atupper and lower edges, a cover of different material from thebodyincluding soft resilient ma bearing surface of the weight when. theweight is slidingon a shuiiie'board. I

4. A shuilie board weight including a metal body having a bottom and'acircumferential, side that meets the bottom along the lower edge of theside, a'cover of soft material extending down,-

ward'along the side andaround the lower edge;

and across'aportion of the bottom of" the weight,

thebottom surfacexofthe weight being recessed for-a distance somewhatgreater than the thickness of thecover so that the portion of thecoverextending across the bottom is "recessed back from the bottom on whichthe weight slides. v

5. A'shuiile'board weight having a ,metal.body with abottom andasubstantially circular side wall that meets thebottom along a lowercircumferential edge, said bottom having" a center' concave portion andan annular area around the center concave :portion sloping upward.toward the side of the weight so as toleave an annular bearing surfaceon which the weight slides when used on a shuffle board, a shoulderextending upward from the bottom around the outer limit of said.annnlar'bearing surface to provide an annular recessed portion of thebottom, a'cover of less height than the shoulder andextending downwardover a portion of the side wallrand around-the bottom edge and acrossthe.-r ecesse.d-

portion of the bottom outside of the annular bearing surface on whichthe weight slides.

6. A shuflle board weight comprising a metal body having a bottom and asubstantially circular side wall that meets the bottom along a loweredge, a center region of the bottom on which the weight rests whenplaced on a horizontal surface, a cover extending downward along theside wall and around the lower edge and across a portion of the bottomfor a distance not greater than one-third of the radius of the bottom,the portion of the bottom across which the cover extends being set backto prevent the cover from extending below the exposed surface of thebottom.

7. A shuflie board weight having a top and bottom and a side wallextending between the top and bottom and meeting said top and bottomalong upper and lower edge portions, soft material covering the upperand lower edge portions of the weight but leaving an intermediatesection of the side wall exposed, said side wall being'so shaped thatthe diameter of the exposed portion is the maximum diameter of theweight for impact with similar weights during shuffle board play.

8. A shufile board weight as described in claim 7 and in which thesection of maximum diameter is in the same plane with the center ofgravity of the weight so as to eliminate overturning moments when theweights strike against a similar weight during shuffle board play.

9. A shufiie board weight comprising a metal body having a top andbottom and a side wall extending between the top and bottom and mergingwith the top and bottom along upper and lower edge portions, a coverextending along a portion of the side wall and around at least one ofthe edge portions and then radially inwardly across a portion of theweight, an annular contact ring adjacent the cover and projecting fromthe body of the weight for a radial distance greater than the radialextent of the cover so as to provide the maximum diameter for theweight, said contact ring having a cross section normal to itscircumferential extent and curved along the region of the contact ringthat confronts the adjacent edge of said cover.

10. A shuffle board weight having a side wall with a contact ringbulging outward at a region of the side wall to provide the maximumdiameter of the weight, said ring having a cross section curved in aplane that passes through the longitudinal axis of the weight, a coloredsleeve overlying a substantial area of the side of the weight and havingan edge confronting the bulge provided by the side wall ring, saidsleeve having a substantially flat annular face confronting the curvedside of the contact ring.

11. A shufile board weight comprising a metal body portion with anannular ring bulging from V a side wall of the body portion intermediatethe upper and lower ends of the weight, said ring being of curved crosssection in a plane that passes through the longitudinal axis of theweight, a cover over-lying at least a portion of the side wall of theweight and terminating at the juncture of the ring with the remainder ofthe side wall, said cover having an edge face that diverges from thesurface with the ring in a direction away from the longitudinal axis ofthe shufiie board weight.

12. A shuflie board weight having a top surface -and a side wall, acentral recess in the top surface. an insert held in said recess, acover extending upward along the side wall and around the upper edge ofthe side wall and inward for a limited radial distance across the top ofthe weight, and an annular element over-lying the portion of the topsurface between the insert and said cover, the inner and outer edges ofsaid annular element extending under portions of the insert and the edgecover, respectively, for securing the annular element in position.

13. The shuffle board weight described in claim 12 with pigments in theannular element that become fluorescent when exposed to radiation from asource above a shuffle board on which the weight is used.

14. A shuille board weight having a side wall and a top surface in whichthere is a center recess, an annular element over-lying the portion ofthe weight between the recess and the side wall, an insert and an edgecover, one of which extends over a portion of the annular cover andholds the annular cover in place, means holding said insert securelywithin the recess i the weight, said cover being securely held by theweight in a position adjacent to and surrounding the upper edge of theside wall.

15. A shuffle board weight having a top and bottom and a side wallextending between the top and bottom, said top having a center recess,an insert extending downward into the recess, means locking the insertagainst displacement from the recess, and a bead at the upper portion ofthe recess extending radially for a limited distance across the top ofthe weight, said insert having a depression of substantial depth in itstop surface, and in which identification marking can be placed at alocation protected from damage by the striking of other weights against,the insert.

16. The shuflle board weight described in claim 15 with the depressionin the top of the insert of substantially elliptical shape in a planenormal to the longitudinal axis of the weight, and with upper edges ofthe depression diverging so that a players thumb fits conveniently intothe depression in the direction of its maximum length for controllingthe direction of movement and turning of the weight during shuffle boardplay.

17. A shuffle board weight comprising a metal body having a top surfaceas a center recess therein, an insert of different material from thebody of the weight, said insert being held in the recess and having adepression of substantial depth in its top surface, the depression beingof greater length than width and having its side wall diverging upwardlythroughout at least a portion of its height to provide a socket thatfits the thumb of a player for controlling the direction of movement andturning of the weight during shuffle board play.

18. A shuffie board weight comprising a metal body portion having a topsurface with a center recess therein, a rubber insert located within therecess, means holding the insert firmly in the recess, a depression inthe rubber insert, and an identification disk located at the bottom ofthe depression and held in place by the side of the depression.

v19. A shufile board weight having a top surface that slopes downwardlytoward the axis of the weight, other surfaces that extend substantiallyparallel to the longitudinal axis of the weight, a colored annulusover-lying a substantial portion of the top of the weight and extendingdownward toward the center in the same way as the weight, and means forholding the colored annulus against the weight, said means comprising aresilient cover that overlies an edge portion and only an edge portionof the colored annulus and that extends into a depression in one of thesurfaces of the weight which is substantially parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the weight for preventing movement of the annulusand cover in the direction of said axis.

20. A shuffle board weight comprising a metal body having top and bottomsurfaces and a side 10 extending between the top and bottom at upper andlower edges respectively, cushion covers extending around said edges,and a glove of plastic material over-lying at least the cushion coverthat extends around the upper edge, said glove having embedded thereinparticles that become fluorescent when exposed to a preselectedradiation.

ELI H. TJOMSLAND.

10 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 679,205 Barrett July 23, 19011,656,936 Beall Jan. 24, 1928 2,273,199 Hilton Feb. 17, 1942 2,274,522Bomze Feb. 24, 1942 2,321,524 Schafer June 8, 1943 2,410,845 Snell et alNov. 12, 1946 2,425,966 Tjomsland Aug. 19, 1947 2,454,492 Turnbull Nov.23, 1948

